Baltimore County Public Schools Superintendent Under Pressure To Resolve Leadership Problems
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- There is a continuing conversation about the future relationship between Baltimore County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Darryl Williams and the school system.
Days ago, county council members Cathy Bevins, Todd Crandell, Wade Kach, David Marks, and Tom Quirk said in a letter that Baltimore County Public Schools has been struggling with low teacher and student morale under the umbrella of Williams.
"The communication is still an ongoing problem," said Cindy Sexton, President of the Teacher's Association of Baltimore County.
Other people, like Delegate Sheila Ruth, remain confident that Williams will address that problem and other problems too.
The council consists of seven county representatives.
Parents and teachers are calling for Williams to be replaced too.
"We had our concerns with Dr. Williams for the past few years and we just want to make sure we have the best person for this difficult job," Amy Adams, president of the Baltimore County Parents coalition, said.
The county council members said in their letter that they were distressed with Williams' leadership and would like to examine other options.
Ruth said that she does not share their perspective.
"Are there problems? Yes, there are problems," she said. "There are shortages of staff, learning loss, social and emotional problems. And all of these things need to be addressed but they take time and they are not unique to Baltimore County."
Williams said in a letter that there has been a nationwide shortage of drivers and teachers. Baltimore County Public Schools has been working on addressing those issues.
As for the allegations of poor communication, Williams said that no question has gone unanswered and no meeting has been declined.
Still, parents like Adams remain unconvinced.
"We would like the most qualified candidate to be identified and put forth to the community," she said.
Williams has roughly 13 months left on his contract.
In a statement Thursday, the teacher's association said it is continuing to work with the county.
"BCPS continues to work with the bargaining units to address concerns and work collaboratively towards solutions, the association said. "The communication with BCPS leadership has been a key factor as we tackle the challenges and opportunities facing education and educators."
